Earl Kent Dewey Jr., Ponca City resident, passed away on Friday, July 23, 2004. He was 88.
The memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Friday, July 30, at the Grace Episcopal Church with the Rev. Kenneth Armstrong, rector, officiating. Arrangements are under the direction of Trout Funeral Home.
Earl was born in New York City, N.Y., Sept. 13, 1915, to Beth Dix Dewey and Earl Kent Dewey Sr. Mr. Dewey earned his B.S. in civil engineering from Union College, Schenectady, N.Y., in 1937. He was a member of the Kappa Alpha fraternity. He then went to work for Continental Oil Company in Ponca City.
During World War II, Earl served as an aircraft engineering officer in the 13th Troop Carrier Squadron, 403rd Troop Carrier Group. He served in New Caledonia, New Hebrides, Solomans, Admiralty Islands, Wake, Noamfoor, Biek and Leyte.
Just before he left for the Pacific, Earl met and became engaged to Lelia Louise Yerxa of Minneapolis, Minn. The couple married in 1946 in Minneapolis and then came to Ponca City where Earl resumed his career with Continental Oil. Louise preceded Earl in death in 1958.
Lt. Col. Earl Dewey Jr. retired from the Air Reserve, USAF in 1971. He retired from Conoco in 1978 after more than 40 years service.
During his years in Ponca City, Earl was a member of Grace Episcopal Church, Kiwanis Club, Ponca Playhouse, and volunteer leader for Boy Scouts of America.
Building and sailing a classic 51-foot schooner, KIA ORA, was Earl's passion in his retirement. He sailed the KIA ORA for many years out of Port Townsend, Wash. In earlier years he built a 28-foot ketch that he sailed along the Texas gulf coast and the west coast of Florida.
Earl is survived by his four daughters, Diane Davis of St. Louis, Mo.; Lilibert Dewey of Oakland, Calif.; Laurel Landrum of Katy, Texas; and Ann Ham of Ponca City. He is also survived by eight grandchildren and six great grandchildren.